Classic Poem

A gentleman I chance to know
An interesting thing of
Is victim of my verse, and so
That thing I seek to sing of
(You surely will not censure me
For putting into poetree
An incident
About the gent-
Leman I seek to sing of.)

He was a gentleman in trade—
The firm was Smith & Brother.
They traffick-ed in lace and braid,
Or some such thing or other.
I am not certain if they sold
Cigars, or apple cake, or gold.
Pray let it stand
At laces, and
Some such affair or other.

“Observe a thousand girls make lace!”
Cried Smith, in exultation.
I saw them working in a place
Devoid of ventilation
They seemed aweary, wan, and ill,
As merely human beings will
Appear who work
In sunless murk
Devoid of ventilation.

I saw Smith yesterday, again,
Acerb, irate, indignant
“I hate,” he said, “those Prussian men,
With utter hate malignant.
To think of using poisonous gas
To kill an enemy! Alas!
I cannot see
How such men be!”
And, my! he was malignant!